Electric range



' Nov. 20, 1928.

1,692,065 A. w. WALKER ET AL ELECTRIC RANGE Filed May .1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.2.

Nov. 20, 1928. 1,692,065

A. w. WALKER ET AL ELECTRIC RANGE Filed May 7, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,692,065 PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR W. WALKER, OI MALDEN, AND ALBERT L. SMITH, OF WEST MEDWAY, MAS- SACHUSETTS, ASBIGNORS TO WALKER & PRATT MFG. 00., OF BOSTON, MASSA-== CHUSETTS', A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC RANGE.

Application filed May 7,

This invention relates to electric stoves, ranges, and analogous a paratus, hereinafter for convenience vreferre to as electric ranges, and it is especiall concerned with the ourrent carrying an controlling apparatus of devices of this character.

. In electric ranges as usually constructed heretofore the switches, wiring and other current carrying and controlling apparatus have been built into the range. Consequently, when any of these parts become damaged it is usually necessary to dismantle or tear down a substantial part of the range. Often times such repairs can only be made by shipping the range back to the factory. The present in-' vention deals with the problems presented by these conditions, and it aims to improve the current controlling and carrying apparatus of electric ranges and analogous devices with 2 a view to rendering the electrical connections more accessible, facilitating repair, reducing the expense of manufacture, and generally devising a more satisfactory apparatus of this I character.

understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompan ing drawings, and the novel features will e particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an electric range equipped with a switch board embodying the present invention, some of the parts being shown broken away;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of certain parts of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the construction which enables these parts to cooperate with each other; and

4o Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rear part of the switch board and adjacent parts.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the numerals 2 and 3 designate heating units which may be of any suitable character, both sup orted in a top plate 4- of the range. The rawings show only that portion of the range with which the present invention is more particularly concerned. The present invention involves a'novel switch board, and in the form shown this switch board includes a series of rotary switches, each preferably of the fourway type and each so connected with its re spective heating unit that a low, medium or high heat may be obtained, as deslred, bil

.a suitable adjustment of the swltc The nature of the invention will be readily 1924. Serial No. 711,590.

controlling that particular unit. The switch also has an off position in which it cuts off all flow of current to the unit which it controls. Each switch includes an insulating base 5, a switchmechanism indicated in general at 6, Fig. 1, and a handle or knob 7 for turning the rotary element of the switch. The entire series of switches is supported by bus bars 8, 9 and 10, the insulating bases of the switches being grooved, as best shown in Fig. 3, to receive the bus bars. The lower bar 8 is connected to all the switches, while the upper bars 9 and 10 are connected to certain only of them, the bar 9 being bent outwardly at 11 and extending parallel to the bar 10 but spaced therefrom. The ends of the bars 8 and 9 extend beyond the switches at the left-hand end of the series, Fig. 3, and these projecting ends are secured to, but insulated from, a metal bracket 12. Bolts and insulating washers and collars are provided to secure the bars to the brackets, as will be evident to those skilled in this art. At the opposite end of the switchboard the bus bars all extend through an insulating block or bracket 14 which is revented from slipping backwardly on the bars by a short bolt 16, Fig. 3, secured in the bar 11 just behind the block 14. 1 r

This entire switch board unit is assembled 5 independently of the range and is then installed in the range b setting the insulating block 14 in a socket 1;, which is formed in a partition 18 in the range, and then slipping the bracket 12 into a socket 19, Fig. 2, formed in one of the frame parts 20 of the range. A lug 21 of the frame piece 20 fits into a slot 22 formed in the bracket 12, and assists in positioning the bracketin its socket. When once located in the socket the bracket is then locked in place by at latch 24 pivoted to the part 20:

A three wire cable, or conductors of any other suitable character, runsfrom the terminals at the upper edge of each switch-base, as shown in Fig. 1, to the heating unit which is to be controlled by that particular switch, the connections between these conductors and the heating unit preferably being made by wing bolts or by a separable connector so that the conductors can be readily disconnected from the unit.

The service connections are made to the bus bars in a compartment which is separated from the adjacent space in the range by means 1 of a suitable partition, a portion of which is indicated at 18. The compartment is clearly shown at 25 in Fig. 1, and the service wires 26, 27 and 28, are shown leading to the respective bus bars 8, 9 and 10, and connected to them by means of bolts. This arrangement avoids any possibility of the service wires coming in contact with the leads that carry current from the switches to the respective heating units.

In order to protect the switch parts, a cover plate 30 is provided, this plate having ears 31 and 32 at its opposite ends arranged to be locked in position by pivoted latches 33 and 34, respectively. The ends of this plate are also notched, as indicated at 35 and 36, to receive positioning lugs 37 and 38, respectively, which are cast on the frame pieces.

It will now be evident that if any of the wiring between the switch board and the heating units should become damaged, or if any of the switches should become injured, the entire switch board may easily be removed. To do this the cover plate 30 is first removed, this being accomplished by unscrewing the knobs or handles 7 from the switches, releasing the latches 33 and 34, and then lifting the cover plate off. The service wires 26, 27 and 28 are next unbolted from the bus bars and the wiring between the" switch board and the heating units is then disconnected, either at the units or at the switch board, depending upon whether or notit is desired to remove the wiring with the switch board. The latch 24 ment of the switch board will be obvious from what has already been said.

It will now be'evident that the present invention provides a construction in which all of the current carrying and controlling devices are very accessible, and in which, accordingly, repairs can be made very easily. Furthermore, this construction can be manufactured very economically, and the switch board is readily adaptable for either right or lefthand ranges' A further advantage of this construction is that it may be easily adapted to different electrical systems. The construction shown is a three wire double pole system. It will readily be appreciated, however, that this switch board can readily be changed to a two wire system simply by connecting the two bus bars 9 and 10 together within the compartment 25, and connecting one of the service wires to one ofthese bus bars, and the other service wire to the bar 8. 1

The switches shown are of the double pole type, and each switch is secured to the bus .bars by two screws 40 and 41, these screws the bus bars to the proper contacts on the switch.

When it is desired to convert this apparatus into a single pole system, the upper buses 9 and 10 are shifted into the lower groove in the insulating bases of the switches and the bus 8 into the upper groove. For thispurpose the insulating bracket 14 is provided with a spare hole 44 to receive the end of the bus 9. The switches are then connected as before except that the screw 40 of each switch is transferred into a dead hole 43, Fig. 1, in the switch base where it makes no electrical connection with any of the contacts of the switch, but simply serves as a mechanical support for the switch. This feature of adaptability to different electrical supply systems is an important practical advantage.

The range shown in Fig. l is of the socalled right-hand type. That is, the oven is located at the right-hand side of the stove. The switch board shown, however, is readily adapted to left-hand ranges. For this purpose, the buses are shifted end for end and the brackets 12 and 14 are reversed. The same parts ,areused in both right and lefthand constructions. These features not only reduce the expense of the materials used, but they effect an even greater reduction in the labor expense involved in the manufacture of various styles of ranges.

While we have herein shown and described the best embodiment of our invention that we have so far devised, it will be appreciated that the invention may be embodied in many other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described our invention, what we desire to claim as new is:

1. In an electric range, the combination of a switch board comprising a plurality of switches and bus bars supporting said switches, means for holding said switch board in its operative position in the range, said range having a compartment for the service wires into which compartment the supply ends of said bus bars project, and said switch board being readily releasable from said holding means to permit the removal of the switch board from the range.

2. In an electric range, the combination'of a plurality of heating units, a switch board including a plurality of switches for controlling the flow of current to said units, means for removably holding said switch board in its operative osition in the range, and a artition in sai range supporting one en of the switch board. 3

3. In an electric range, the combination of a plurality of heating units, a switch board including a plurality of-switches for controlling the flow, of current to said units, means leading into said compartment, conductors a side of said partition from the main connected to said switches and extending into said 7 compartment, and disconnectable devices in-said compartment for securing said conductors to said wires.

4. In an electric range, the combination of a plurality of heating units, a switch board including a plurality of switches for controlling the flow of current to said units, means for removably holding said switch board in its operative position in the range, a partition in said range through which parts at one end of theswitch board roject, and service wires connected to said switch board at the opposite part of the switch board.

5. In an electric range, the combination of a plurality of heating units, a switch board comprising a plurality of switches for controlling the flow of current to 'said units, said switch board including bus bars secured to said switches and supporting them, and means cooperating with the ends of said bars to support said switch board removably in its operative position in the range.

6. In an electric range, the combination of a plurality of heating units, a switch board comprising a plurality of switches for controlling the flow of current to said units, said switch board including bus bars secured to said switches and supporting them, brackets for supporting the opposite ends of said bars, and means for supporting said brackets to hold the switch board in its operative position in therauge, said brackets being readily disengageable from their supports to permit the removal of the switch board from the range.

c 7. In an electnc range, the combination of a plurality of heating units, a switch board comprising a plurality of switches for controlling the flow of current to said units, said switch board includingbus bars secured to said switches and supporting them, brackets for supporting the opposite ends of said bars, an insulating bracket through which said bars extend at one end of the switch board, another bracket secured to said bars at the opposite end of the switch board, said range having sockets to receive said brackets, and releasable means for normally holding said brackets in their sockets.

8. In an electric range, the combination of a plurality of heating units, a plurality of switches controlling the flow of current to said units, two bus bars secured to said switches and supporting them in their proper relationship to each other, an insulating bracket through which said bus bars extend ,at one'end of the unit, a metal bracket secured to but insulated from the opposite ends of said bars, a partition in said range, said partitionhaving a socket therein to receive said insulating bracket, another socket formed in said range to receive said metal bracket, and a latch forholding said metal bracket in its socket, said latch being releasable to permit the removal of said switches, bars and brackets as a unit from the range.

- 9. In an electric range, the combination of a plurality of heating units, aiswitch board comprising a plurality of switches for controlling the flow of current to said units and supporting means for holding said switches in their operative relationship to each other, sockets in said range for receiving parts of the switch board to support the switch board, said sockets permitting movement of said parts into andout of the sockets but prevent,

ing movement of said parts in other directions, and means for holding said parts in said sockets, said holding means being readily releasable to permit the removal of the switch board from the range.

10. In an electric range, the combination a of a plurality of heating units, a switch board comprising a plurality of switches for controlling the flow of current to said units and supporting means for holding said switches in their operative relationship to each other, a socket in said range for receiving a part of the switch board to support the switch board in its operative positiontin the range, and a device for engaging said part and holding it in said socket, said device being releasable to permit the removal of the switch board from the range;

1 1. In an electric range, the combination of a switch board comprlsing a plurality of switches and bus bars supporting said switches, service connections in therange to said bus bars, and means for holding said switch boardv in its operative position in the range, said means being readily releasable to permit the movement of said switch board and bus bars out of said position relative to the range and said service connections.

porting means for holding said switches in their operative relationshipto each other,

means for supporting said switch board in its operative position in the range, said switch board being readily disengageable from its supporting means to permit the removal of the switch board from therange, a cover plate for said switches, and means independent of the support for said switchboard for removably holding said cover plate in its operative position. v

13. In an electric range, the combination of a plurality of heating units, a switch board comprising a plurality of switches for controlling the flow of current to said units, supporting means for holding said switches in their operative relationship to each. other, means forsupporting said switch board in its operative position in the range, said switch board being readily disengageable fromits supporting means to permit the removal of the switch board from the range, a cover plate for said switches, and releasable means for supporting said cover plate in its operative position but permitting the removal of the cover plate from the range without disturbing said switch board.

14. In an electric range,the combination of a plurality of heating units, a switch board comprising a plurality of switches for controlling the flow of current to said units, supporting means for holding said switches in their operative relationship to each other, means including a latch for removably holding said switch board in its operative position in the range, a cover plate for said switch board, and releasable means for normally supporting said cover plate in position to cover said switches and said latch.

15. In an electric range, a removable switch board comprising a series of switches, each of said switches including an insulating base, and bus bars-t0 which said bases are secured,

said bus bars supporting said switches in their proper relationship to each other, and the bases of said switches being grooved to receive said bars.

16. A removable switch board for electric ranges comprising a series of switches, bus bars to which said switches are secured, said bars supporting said switches and projecting beyond them at one end of said series of switches, and a supporting bracket cooperating with the projecting ends of said bars.

17. In an electric range having a plurality of heating units, a switch board comprising a plurality of switches for controlling the flow of current to said units, each of said switches including an insulating base, bars to which said bases are secured, said bars serving to support said switches in their operative positions, and means cooperating with said bars for removably supporting the switch board, in the range.

In testimony whereof-we have hereunto signed our names to this specification.

ARTHUR W. WVALKER. ALBERT L. ShIITH. 

